This invention relates generally to food service equipment and more particularly to equipment for maintaining previously cooked food at temperatures suitable for serving the food.
In one embodiment, this invention is especially directed to food service equipment that is used to heat pre-cooked bread products, such as sandwich buns (e.g., hamburger buns), to a desired holding temperature and then to maintain such products at such temperature before serving. In this regard, it is desirable to have warm buns at the point of sandwich assembly. A warm bun contributes to the perception of a hot, fresh sandwich.
There are two conventional processes used in the food service industry to warm sandwich buns. The first is to place the buns in a drawer warmer, which operates at a set temperature and may have humidity added to keep the buns from drying out. The problem with this method is that the temperature remains constant throughout the entire holding process. If the temperature is relatively high to heat the buns rapidly, the buns may heat up to a temperature which exceeds the ideal holding temperature, causing the bun quality to deteriorate prematurely. If the temperature is lower, the buns may take too long to reach the ideal holding temperature. The second conventional process is to place the buns in a toaster, which toasts the inside surface of the bun but contributes very little to raising the temperature of the bun.
There is a need, therefore, for apparatus which can be used in the food service industry to heat previously cooked food (such as sandwich buns) relatively rapidly to a desired holding temperature, and then to reduce the heat to the food to maintain the food at that temperature.